2013 Nissan Sentra Problems

Severe Issues

Real NHTSA owner complaints for the 2013 Nissan Sentra. Part of Generation 7 — 2013–2019.

20122014
Complaints
868
per 10K Sold
67.2
US Sales
129,143
Crashes
35
Fires
6
Injuries
34
Fatalities
2
Recalls
6

Worst 2013 Nissan Sentra Problems

Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.

#1308 complaints

Transmission / Drivetrain

Avg mileage:77,084 mi
Crash-related:1
#295 complaints

Airbags

Avg mileage:33,102 mi
Crash-related:11
#395 complaints

Brakes

Avg mileage:30,236 mi
Crash-related:9
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All Problems by Category

Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2013 Nissan Sentra.

Transmission / Drivetrain
308
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
77,084
Airbags
95
complaints
Crashes
11
Fires
Avg Miles
33,102
Brakes
95
complaints
Crashes
9
Fires
Avg Miles
30,236
Engine Problems
87
complaints
Crashes
2
Fires
3
Avg Miles
50,858
Unintended Acceleration
51
complaints
Crashes
2
Fires
Avg Miles
64,973
Electrical Faults
41
complaints
Crashes
2
Fires
1
Avg Miles
41,437
Fuel System
33
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
64,252
Steering Defects
16
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
53,749
Electronic Stability Control
13
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
43,349
Seat Belt Issues
12
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
45,079
Suspension Failures
7
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
95,642
Wheel Issues
7
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
58,595
Engine & Cooling
4
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Headlight/Taillight Failures
4
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Body Structure
4
complaints
Crashes
3
Fires
Avg Miles
Seat-Related Issues
3
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Wipers & Visibility
3
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Gasoline Fuel System
2
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Automatic Transmission
2
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Air Bags:Frontal
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Instrument Cluster
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Electrical System:12v/24v/48v Battery
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Electrical System:Wiring
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Fuel Pump
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Fuel System, Other:Storage:Fuel Gauge System
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Lane Departure: Warning
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Latches / Locks
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Seat Belts:Front:Warning Light/Devices
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles

Search Owner Complaints

Read what owners actually reported to NHTSA for the 2013 Nissan Sentra. Type a keyword (e.g. “transmission”, “stalling”, “brakes”) to filter.

Recalls for 2013 Nissan Sentra

6 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting ~5,015,895 vehicles.

16V242000Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification
~645,898 affected

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2016 Sentra vehicles manufactured June 4, 2012, to April 9, 2016. The front passenger seat belt bracket may become deformed if it is used to secure a Child Restraint System (CRS). The deformed seat bracket may cause the Occupant Classification System (OCS) to incorrectly classify the installed CRS, resulting in the front passenger air bag to not be turned off as designed when a CRS is in the seat.

16V244000Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification
~3,296,947 affected

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2013-2016 Nissan Altima, NV200, LEAF, Sentra, and Pathfinder, 2014-2016 Nissan NV200 Taxi, Infiniti QX60, QX60 Hybrid, and Q50 Hybrid, 2014-2017 Nissan Rogue and Infiniti Q50, 2015-2016 Nissan Murano, Murano Hybrid, and Chevrolet City Express, 2014-2015 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid, and 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles. In these vehicles, the front seat passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) may incorrectly classify an adult passenger as a child or classify the seat as empty despite it being occupied. As a result, the passenger frontal air bag may be turned off and not deploy in the event of a crash.

15V681000Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification · Air Bags:frontal
~919 affected

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Altima and Pathfinder vehicles, 2013-2014 Nissan Sentra vehicles, 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles, 2014-2015 Infiniti QX60 vehicles and 2014 Infiniti QX60 Hybrid vehicles. The affected vehicles received an incorrect occupant classification system (OCS) control unit during a repair. These OCS control units may incorrectly classify the front passenger seat as empty, when it is occupied by an adult.

14V138000Electrical System:software · Air Bags:frontal
~989,701 affected

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Altima, LEAF, Pathfinder, and Sentra, model year 2013 NV200 (aka Taxi) and Infiniti JX35 and model year 2014 Infiniti Q50 and QX60 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the occupant classification system (OCS) software may incorrectly classify the passenger seat as empty, when it is occupied by an adult.

13V068000Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly
~392 affected

Nissan is recalling certain model year 2013 Sentra vehicles manufactured from September 11, 2012, through October 4, 2012. Some fuel tank assemblies were not properly sealed during the manufacturing process. As a result, a small amount of gasoline may leak from the tank when it is full.

13V069000Airbags
~82,038 affected

Nissan is recalling certain model year 2013 Altima, LEAF, Pathfinder, Sentra, and Infiniti JX35 vehicles. Sensors within the passenger Occupant Detection System (ODS) may have been manufactured out of specification. This may cause the system to malfunction and permanently suppress the passenger airbag.

Other Nissan Sentra Years

2013 Nissan Sentra — FAQ

Answers based on real NHTSA complaint and recall data for this specific model year.

Is the 2013 Nissan Sentra reliable?
Verdict: Severe Issues. The 2013 Nissan Sentra has 868 NHTSA complaints, 35 crash-related, and 6 recall campaigns. The most common issue is Transmission / Drivetrain with 308 complaints. Source: NHTSA via VinItel.
What are common problems with the 2013 Nissan Sentra?
Top reported problems: Transmission / Drivetrain (308 complaints, avg 77,084 mi); Airbags (95 complaints, avg 33,102 mi); Brakes (95 complaints, avg 30,236 mi). Every complaint is filed by an owner with NHTSA — this is raw reported data, not editorial opinion.
At what mileage do problems start on the 2013 Nissan Sentra?
The weighted average mileage at time of complaint is about 57,988 miles. Some components fail earlier, some later — check the "All Problems by Category" table above for per-issue averages.
How safe is the 2013 Nissan Sentra?
NHTSA complaints for the 2013 Nissan Sentra include 35 crash-related reports, 6 fire reports, 34 injuries, and 2 fatalities. These are owner-reported incidents, not official crash-test ratings — a complaint being filed doesn't confirm a defect, but clusters around specific components are worth investigating.
Does the 2013 Nissan Sentra have any recalls?
Yes — 6 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 5,015,895 vehicles. Recalls are free to fix at the dealer. Always verify by VIN whether the specific car you're looking at has had its recalls addressed.
Should I buy a 2013 Nissan Sentra?
Proceed with extreme caution. The 2013 Nissan Sentra shows significantly more complaints than average for its class. If you're buying one, a pre-purchase inspection and a VIN history check are essential — skip them and you're gambling.

Source: NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) complaint and recall databases, aggregated by VinItel.

Wider context: See the full Nissan Sentra reliability report with year-by-year comparison and generation analysis.

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